BY NIGERIAN AUTHOR AMARA CHIDINMA EZEDINIRU

My back was on the bed, my face deciphering the combination of the ceiling, my two hands crossed each other at my lower abdomen, and my right knee was slightly up allowing my toes to give gentle strokes to my left foot.  I looked every inch like a billionaire plotting the next move. Indeed, I was, for my mind was faster than I could imagine.

“How could I be this intelligent yet poor?”

This question had hunted me for many a year.

Tonight, as I was about to bid goodbye to the night that took over the day, it popped up again.

“You are rich yet poor, heavy and light, smiling with every suffering.”

I had a boisterous jerk though my body remained still. It was a mental jolt. It kept me awake for the rest of the night.

Nigeria, my dear country, is a land of contrasts. It is a country rich in all kinds of natural resources, yet plagued by poverty. Even though many of her people struggle to live, it is home to some of the world’s most talented and ambitious people. Nigeria is a place where strength and weakness coexist in equal measure, making it a fascinating and complex nation.

Could it be our horrid past, the fact that some globetrotters forcefully merged diverse nations and gave them a name? They confused us with mirrors and rum and took our brothers and sisters in exchange. They instigated the war between the north and the south and yet act as the umpire.

What about our diversity, our tribes and tongues are without a number? Why do people with divergent beliefs live together? It’s more than 3 scores years, we are yet to find a common ground. The more we try, the more the gap in perspective and values seem to expand. One side is in an endless romance with education and the other frolics with religious sentiments. One side’s progress is evident, the other sells her vote for a pack of spaghetti in 2023. What a shame!

While we remember being bedeviled with a tumultuous past, with colonization, civil war, and military rule leaving deep scars on the national psyche, we should purpose to move forward, together and stronger. There have not been many gains from trading blames and reviling in our past.

We are resilient. We have the Naija spirit! We have a deep connection to our land and an intimate understanding of its rhythms and cycles.

We are a people of strength, yes, we are! We have overcome many challenges and adversity. Our individual determination has collectively taken us far. Our history, cultural heritage and collective identity ooze of indomitability. From music and art to science and politics, we have fought tirelessly, physically, mentally and otherwise for our rights and equality.

The world may see our weaknesses, the bad leaders that twiddle us, the thieves, looters, liars and more. We simply trudge on in faith, taking life one day at a time as we remind ourselves that no other can make our beds more comfortable than us.

I believe that repairs should start in our classrooms.

A people so strong but weak is not a phenomenon that is limited to a specific community. It is a characteristic that can be found in societies all over the world. It speaks to the complex nature of human societies, where strength and weakness can coexist in the same place.

By the same author:

Education and the Nigerian woman

Conversation with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari

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About the author

A distinguished teacher, an author of award-winning books, a neuro-linguistic programming coach, human resource generalist, business administrator, management consultant and an articulate public speaker, Amara’s background in marketing, education and management makes her outstanding in the delivery of overall business services for optimal productivity. When she is not in the boardroom, she’s in the classroom or in her writing room.